Once More, With Feeling
by ringanybells
Summary: The ten song shuffle challenge, as much M/M as I could fit and still stick to the rules.


_**[**A/N: I'm currently trying to finish up all my currently in progreess stories, but I hit a bit of writer's block. When I saw this challenge, I thought it might help. It really did. I've got another IPS fic to be posted by week's end, at the latest. Hope you all enjoy. Oh and yes, the CCR song did come up in my shuffle, total fluke.]_

**Missundaztood ~Pink**

Everyone only saw the tough exterior. That was the way she wanted it. She didn't want everyone to know about her screwed up family or her crazy history. She didn't need their sympathy or their pity. She didn't need anyone.

Except Marshall. She'd spent years being the strong, silent type; well not all that silent. But she'd spent years keeping everything in. And then Marshall had been assigned as her partner; things had changed. He didn't ask the questions or throw her the pitying stares. He let her live her life and function the way she did best. When things got to be too much, he was there to hold her.

She wasn't just a balls to the wall fed, she had enough emotional pain to write a book. But no one needed to know that, except Marshall.

**On the Greens ~ Richard Rossbach**

She stood on the roof of the sunshine building, looking out over the city of Albuquerque. The lack of tall buildings allowed her to see for miles. It was nothing but silver and sand. There were times she missed the green hills of Jersey, the grassy plains of Tennessee. That was the one problem with a childhood like hers, she'd spent a little time living everywhere. And when she allowed herself time to remember, she missed it.

That was the reason she usually didn't allow herself to think about the past, because she didn't like to wallow in the pain. And that was all her past held. It was full of eviction notices and impound slips. Her history read like a list of rejection- schools she'd had to leave, apartments they'd been kicked out of, towns they'd had to flee in the middle of the night. She had long ago lost the ability to count the number of times she'd picked her mother or her sister up from police drunk tanks or hospital ERs.

That pain would have crushed anyone else. But she was Mary Shannon, and she was stronger than any of her memories.

**Let's Bounce Tonight ~Eminem**

She didn't know what would convince them that this would be a good idea. They'd known her for thirty years. She'd never once shown any appreciation for their continued surprise parties. She'd complained about every stupid bimbo slut fest she'd been dragged to. Why would they insist on throwing her a bachelorette party.

When the stripper arrived, she took the chance to escape out the back door. "Aren't you supposed to be inside shoving ones into a G-string?" His voice came out of nowhere, startling her.

"What the hell are you doing out here?"

"Your mother invited me. Did you not want me here?"

"No, I mean why the hell are you outside, while I'm inside being tortured. You're my partner, you're supposed to protect me from things like this."

"From your family?"

"What else would I need protection from? I'd choose a risky witness relocate over this any day."

Marshall smirked, knowing his partner was dead serious. "Sorry, I thought you might enjoy yourself, it's your party after all."

"If it's my party, then let's go. I know where we can get some good Chinese food."

**Supposed to Be ~Jack Johnson**

Marshall stood in the archway. Mary was about a dozen yards away. She looked beautiful. Her dress was simple, white cotton. Nothing too elaborate, because that just wasn't Mary. Her hair was down, twisted in soft curls, which caught the light perfectly. He'd never compared her to an angel before, but there was no other word for it today.

She'd chosen simple, a quiet ceremony on the beach. And as she walked down the aisle toward him, he'd never been happier.

**Proud Mary ~Creedence Clearwater Revival**

She wasn't going to quit, not her job. It was everything she'd ever wanted to be. So when he asked her to chose, she'd handed him back the ring. She'd spent a lifetime in transition, moving from city to city, apartment to hotel room. But this, here, this was the life she had chosen. And she would give it up for no man.

Her mother was upset, Brandi was pissed, but Mary didn't care. This was her life. She could live without Raph, but she didn't want to give up her job. She didn't want to give up Stan or even Eleanor. And she certainly didn't want to give up her partner, because she'd made him promise the same thing. And she was too proud to be the one to walk away first.

**Some People ~ Revolution**

She had been fooling herself for too long. But everyone wakes up sometime. She just hadn't expected it to be so literal. Her eyes had finally fluttered open, and she had choked on the tube in her throat. But it hadn't been Raph to step forward to calm her down. It had been Marshall, who'd been standing by the window for what seemed like months. She'd been in a coma for a week, and every moment had been hell for Marshall. Seeing her eyes open sent a wave of relief through him. And seeing Marshall calmed Mary in a way she knew Raph's presence never could. She had finally opened her eyes.

**Midnight Rambler ~ The Rolling Stones**

"Don't you ever shut up?" Though her characteristic exasperation was present, her tone lacked the usual vehemence. She didn't actually want him to stop, she was just saying something to let him know she was still awake. They'd been driving for hours, trying to make Colorado before stopping. It hadn't been their brightest idea, but neither she nor Marshall particularly liked the stop and go scenery that came with hotels. Plus the last time they'd stayed in one, Marshall had decided to share a few too many facts about the substandard cleaning practices that were typical of the cheap places they frequented. Mary had been unable to sleep that night, she'd spent the evening in the SUV. The next morning, Marshall had been awoken by a bucket of cold water, while still in bed.

"If you want me to stop, all you have to do is ask." Saying it was just a formality, he knew she wouldn't. She hated silent car rides, at least when the only two present were them. She preferred witnesses who kept their mouths shut as the hills rolled past. But when it was just the two of them, silence was unnatural. Silence meant something was wrong; silence gave a sense of foreboding that set them both on edge, a throwback to the trip they'd taken with Horst.

"At least pick a more interesting topic. If I hear one more word about rocks, I'm going to find one and throw it at you."

Marshall wasn't entirely sure that threat was empty. So he did what any wise man would do, he changed the subject. "How are the wedding plans coming?"

Mary groaned. She and Raph had gotten in another fight before her departure about the stupid wedding. Every day gave her one more reason to hate that word. "I changed my mind. I wanna hear more about the rocks."

**Further On (Up the Road) ~ Bruce Springsteen**

She rounded the corner. It was late, but that didn't matter. He'd never turned her away before. And when he saw her, he certainly wouldn't do it tonight. His house was just down the road, 2 blocks. That was the distance between her and the one sane person in her life. Behind her, five streetlights and 3 miles away, her mother and sister were probably still shouting. But she'd left, tired of dealing with their drama. She'd had enough. She didn't want to hear about what was going wrong in their lives. She had just been through hell. She could have just called him, and he would have come. He'd said as much when he dropped her off. But she had needed the immediate escape, she couldn't spend another moment trapped in that house, just like she couldn't spend another moment locked in that basement.

**Amazing Grace ~ Dropkick Murphys**

She stood still, tears trailing down her face. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. She always figured she'd get up the courage to find him, have one last conversation before she threw dirt on his sealed coffin. She wanted a chance to yell at him for abandoning her. She wanted a chance to thank him for the letters that had kept her going. She wanted to tell him she still loved him, even though he left her. She felt her knees giving out, and would have fallen, if not for the arms of her partner, as he pulled her close. Funny that the one person who understood what she needed most was the one person she hadn't trusted with this secret.

**Unhappy Girl ~ the Doors**

She sat by the door for days, waiting for him to come home. At night she would pull the letter out and reread it, hoping to glean some clue as to what she had done wrong. Mornings would find her staring out the window again. That is until they got evicted and she had to wake up, and grow up.


End file.
